Volkswagen Polo vs Toyota Etios Cross

We at CarWale decided to get ourselves some seat time and see what Volkswagen Motorsport’s ‘Arrive and Drive’ programme is like.

It’s a crossover… It’s a hatchback… No, we don’t know! And since we don’t have a name for this segment of cars, we are going to begin by christening them Hatchovers! The Etios Cross is the latest entrant to this India-specific segment, where the cars look rugged and bulky like crossovers, but offer pretty much the same utility as that of a hatchback. It may be a unique distinction for the Indian automotive market, but not something that we should be proud of. What exactly is the purpose of the hatchover then? What made manufacturers like Volkswagen, Skoda and Toyota enter this segment? Is it just a passing fad or will we see more vehicles of this kind in future? We spend some time with the Etios Cross to get to the bottom of this riddle.

Why more than a 10-year-old product here, you may ask! Now, there are two reasons for the Volkswagen Polo to be at the racetrack. First, Volkswagen brought track fun, made motorsports popular, and Indian racing accessible to the masses. Like arrive-n-drive, where you just pay, arrive at the track, and drive a prepped-up VW! This brand name is quite synonymous with racing. Second, more than 10 years and not much has really changed. That speaks so much about its build quality and durability. Speaking of which, a new engine with a new autobox, well, I know I had to forget stick-shift fun here. Yet, with its huge strength being dynamics, there's no more contemplating. So, could I expect the best possible traction and superior driving dynamics from this everyday hero? There was only one way to find out. Drive!